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Parvo

In 1978, a new disease swept through the dog population of North America from Europe, killing thousands in its wake. The victims were mostly puppies. A year later, a vaccine was developed. The disease is canine parvovirus type 2 or CPV, better known as parvo. At TLC for Pets, our veterinarian wants to stress the importance of having your dog vaccinated for parvo. If you live in or around Reisterstown and Owings Mills, contact our office today to schedule an appointment.

parvo

Parvo Is Incurable

This is why it has been made a core vaccine. It is also the reason why you not only need to initially vaccinate your puppy but keep getting boosters throughout your dog’s life.

How Parvo Kills

Your puppy contracts the virus by either coming into contact with a sick dog or anything that touched that dog, including feces from the sick dog. After incubating for a few days, the virus infects the tonsils and lymph nodes. The virus changes a kind of white blood cell into itself to reproduce. In the bloodstream, the virus attacks the bone marrow, lining of the intestines, and the heart. Death usually comes as a combination of extreme dehydration and septic shock.

If Your Dog or Puppy Survives That

If your dog or puppy happens to survive parvo, he or she is still not out of the woods. Many dogs and puppies that survive parvo soon die anyway from a secondary infection. Parvo devastates a dog or puppy’s immune system, making it more likely to catch any disease going around.

Symptoms of Parvo

Dogs and puppies usually die within 72 hours of showing these first signs. Get your dog or puppy to a veterinarian if you observe the following:

  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Bad diarrhea, including bloody diarrhea
  • Belly pain
  • Bloating
  • Either fever or temperature dropping low
  • Lethargy, or being listless, as if sinking away into oblivion

The Parvo Vaccine

The easiest way to avoid all of this is to get your dog or puppy vaccinated. Puppies can get their first parvo shot when they are six weeks old.

Get Your Dog or Pup Vaccinated at TLC for Pets

If you have questions about protecting your dog or puppy from parvo and live in the Reisterstown or Owings Mills areas, contact TLC for Pets to book an appointment with Dr. Lucas. Call our team today at (410) 833-1717 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.